Bobby Faucheux (D)
Term limited in 2007
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 7,231 (57%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 5,356 (43%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 8,189 (51%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,947 (49%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 9,511 (49%)
John Kerry (D) 9,472 (49%)
Others 252 (2%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 8,170 (45%)
Chris John (D) 4,880 (27%)
Others 5,035 (28%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 1,889 (27%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 2,887 (41%)
Mike Francis (R) 645 (9%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 947 (14%)
Others 596 (9%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,539 (51%)
Walter Boasso (D) 2,723 (18%)
John Georges (I) 2,969 (20%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,183 (8%)
Others 381 (3%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 7,005 (52%)
Mike Strain (R) 4,186 (31%)
Wayne Carter (R) 1,739 (13%)
Don Johnson (R) 663 (5%)

The combination of the petrochemical industry and the state’s plantation heritage makes the “River Parishes” a truly unique part of Louisiana. This combination has also created a reliable Democratic stronghold which has held up in good years and in bad.

District 57 has an African American population of 41% which usually all but guarantees a victory for Democrats. However, Landrieu and Blanco carried the district with less than 60% of the vote, and Bush carried the district 50-49% last year. Another statistic that further challenges the idea of this being a solidly Democratic district is the fact that Senator Vitter won this district handily by a margin of 43-25%.

District 57 tends to support its incumbent legislators. Over the past 30 years, only Joe Accardo and Bobby Faucheux have represented the area. Since 1987, the district has only seen two seriously contested races. The first was in 1991 when Joe Accardo was held to 54% of the vote against Republican Richard Holmes; the second in 1995, when Faucheux was first elected. Since then, he has been unopposed.

Rep. Faucheux is term limited in 2007. The current and projected future demographics of this district (the African-American voter registration has increased 4% since the last statewide election) would normally lead us to rate this district as a “likely Democratic hold” in 2007. However, the Republicans have a strong candidate this year: St. John Parish President Nickie Monica. He is being opposed by five Democrats: St. John School Board members Gerald Keller and Matthew Ory, Geri Maloney, Randal Gaines, and Natalie Tatje.